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Clinton says US never will 'sell out' Lebanon

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-04-27 09:14

US officials have said they would review aid to Lebanon, including military assistance, depending on the composition of the new government. The United States has provided $1 billion in aid since 2006, including $410 million in security assistance to the military and the police.

Although the US and Israel regard Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, the militant Shiite group shares power in Lebanon's current government and along with its allies, has veto power on major decisions. A strong showing by Hezbollah would further boost Iranian and Syrian influence in the Mideast and could harm Arab-Israeli peace efforts.

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While urging free and fair elections, the Obama administration is treading carefully. The Bush administration encouraged the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006 and then saw the radical Hamas movement win handily and badly damage efforts to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

Reflecting that concern, Clinton met during her brief stay with just one senior official, Suleiman.

US officials say her meeting with Suleiman only is because the US doesn't want to be seen as taking sides in the elections. Suleiman is considered a consensus leader and neutral in the political struggle.

Even if it wins, Hezbollah cannot rule alone because of Lebanon's complex, sectarian power-sharing system in which the major of the 18 sects must be represented in parliament and the Cabinet.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah says the group knows that trying to dominate Lebanon's politics would destabilize the country. In the past four years, Lebanon has nearly tumbled into a repeat of the 1975-90 civil war as the pro-Syrian and pro-US camps struggled for the upper hand.

Hezbollah has taken the strategy of a low-key election campaign with a moderate message, aiming to show that a victory by its coalition should not scare anyone. Nasrallah has even said that if the coalition wins, it would invite its opponents to join in a national unity government to ensure stability.

Before leaving Lebanon, Clinton stopped at Hariri's grave to lay a wreath. She renewed US support for an international tribunal based in the Netherlands to try his killers. "There needs to be an absolute end to an era of impunity for political assassinations in Lebanon," Clinton said.

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